Juneshine Hard Kombucha Recipe

Prepare Starter

Reserve 1 cup of strong, unpasteurized kombucha or Jun starter liquid from a previous batch. Keep the live Jun/SCOBY in that liquid at room temperature until ready to use. This provides active culture to start fermentation.

Brew Tea

Bring 2 liters of filtered water to just below a boil (about 90–95°C / 194–203°F). Remove from heat, add 6 tablespoons green tea, and steep for 4–6 minutes. Remove tea leaves or bags and allow the brew to cool to about 30–40°C (lukewarm).

Dissolve Honey

While the tea is still warm (not hot), add 1 cup raw honey and stir until completely dissolved. Cooling the sweetened tea to lukewarm is important so the heat does not damage the starter culture.

Combine with Starter

Pour the sweetened tea into a clean, sanitized fermentation vessel (glass jar recommended). Add the reserved 1 cup starter kombucha and the Jun SCOBY if available. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.

Primary Fermentation

Allow to ferment at room temperature (20–25°C / 68–77°F), out of direct sunlight, for 5–7 days. Taste daily after day 4. The liquid should develop a pleasant tart-sweet balance and light effervescence. This primary fermentation will create a mildly alcoholic Jun base; target gravity and ABV will still be low at this stage.

Prepare Fruit

While the primary ferment nears your preferred taste (typically day 5–7), dice 2 cups fresh pineapple into small pieces and juice enough oranges to yield 1 cup fresh orange juice. Zest one orange finely to yield about 1 tsp zest.

First Rinse and Blend

For maximum flavor extraction, lightly puree the pineapple pieces in a blender or food processor until pulpy but not fully liquified. Combine the pineapple purée, 1 cup fresh orange juice, and 1 tsp orange zest in a bowl. If you prefer clearer kombucha, reserve a portion of pineapple to add as juice rather than purée.

Secondary Fermentation with Fruit

Remove the Jun SCOBY and 1 cup of starter liquid to save for the next batch. Add the pineapple-orange mixture to the fermented Jun in the primary vessel, or bottle into flip-top bottles using a funnel and strainer so solids do not clog bottles. Fill bottles leaving 1–2 inches headspace. Optionally add 1 tsp priming sugar per liter total or 1/2 tsp per 500 ml bottle to boost secondary fermentation and carbonation. Seal bottles tightly.

Secondary Fermentation (Bottled)

Allow bottles to condition at room temperature for 2–5 days to develop carbonation and for the fruit flavors to infuse. Check pressure daily (open one bottle carefully) to avoid overcarbonation. Move to cold storage (refrigerator) once desired carbonation and flavor are reached to stop fermentation.

Prepare Charcoal

Shortly before bottling (or at the end of secondary conditioning if you prefer a subtler effect), disperse 1 tsp food-grade activated charcoal in 2 tablespoons non-chlorinated water to make a smooth slurry. Activated charcoal is used for color and a slight mouthfeel change; use sparingly and ensure it is food-grade.

Add Charcoal to Bottles

If you want a darkened, dramatic finish (California-style activated charcoal effect), add a small amount (about 1/8–1/4 tsp per 500 ml bottle depending on desired intensity) of the charcoal slurry to each bottle before sealing for secondary fermentation. Stir liquid in bottle gently by inverting once after sealing to distribute. Note: charcoal will adsorb some compounds — flavor changes may be subtle. Alternatively, add the charcoal at final packaging just before cold-storing and gently invert to mix.

Safety & Filtration

If a very clear finished product is desired, allow bottles to sit upright in cold storage to let charcoal settle and then decant carefully through a fine mesh or coffee filter into serving bottles, leaving charcoal sediment behind. Discard sediment. Always use food-grade charcoal and small amounts; avoid excessive use.

Adjusting ABV

Target ABV for this recipe is approximately 5–6% after secondary fermentation. If you need to raise ABV slightly before bottling, add an additional 1–2 tablespoons honey (dissolved in a little lukewarm tea) to the batch before bottling; this provides more fermentable sugars for yeast. Monitor fermentation and carbonation closely to prevent over-pressurization in bottles.

Optional Stabilization

If you plan to stop fermentation completely (to retain sweetness and prevent further alcohol increase) and then back-sweeten, dissolve half a crushed Campden tablet per 1–2 liters into the batch following package instructions for timing, then cold-stabilize in the fridge for 24–48 hours. Use sulfite/sorbate methods carefully and only if comfortable with chemical stabilizers.

Cold Storage & Serving

Once desired carbonation and flavor are achieved, refrigerate bottles to halt fermentation. Serve chilled (4–8°C). Pour gently to avoid disturbing any settled charcoal. Garnish with a small pineapple wedge or orange twist if desired.

Yield & Safety

This recipe yields about 1.8–2.0 liters of finished hard Jun kombucha (approximately 6 x 330–375 ml bottles). Alcohol content can vary; if precise ABV is required, measure specific gravity before and after fermentation with a hydrometer and calculate ABV. Observe bottle pressure daily during secondary fermentation to reduce risk of bottle bombs.

Rinse and sanitize all equipment that contacted the ferment. Reserve the SCOBY and 1 cup starter liquid for your next Jun batch and store them in a small jar at room temperature with enough liquid to cover.